Gluten Free Cider Gravy

If you or someone in your home is avoiding gluten this holiday season, you might be thinking about how everyone's meals will be affected. How do you plan those celebratory meals and stay gluten-free?

If you're sticking with tradition, start with the turkey — some brands of turkey contain additives that must be closely checked to see whether they contain gluten. Read the ingredients, and make sure you're safe.

Gravy is a holiday must. Here's a recipe with a new, gluten-free twist.

Ingredients:

1 cup apple juice

1 cup low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon garlic

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon lemon juice

3 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons mulling spice

1 teaspoon thyme

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine apple juice and chicken broth. Whisk in garlic, mustard, lemon juice and cornstarch. Heat on medium-high until sauce reaches a low boil, then reduce heat. Grind mulling spice in spice or coffee grinder. Add mulling spice and thyme to mixture. Heat until desired thickness is achieved. Serve immediately.

SOURCE: Omaha World-Herald

Turkey and Chestnut Stuffing

Tips for making your Thanksgiving Roasted Turkey

• If you don’t want to stuff your turkey, make the stuffing and cook it separately as dressing. If so, then ‘stuff’ the turkey with one orange or lemon, one head of garlic, and one onion, all cut in half or quartered. Also salt the cavity generously with sea salt.
• If you have a roasting pan with a rack, set your turkey on the rack and this in the bottom: 4 cups water, one onion (quartered), the turkey neck and gizzards. By the time the turkey is done, you will have a nice stock to use as your base for gravy. Or just simmer this on the stove while your turkey is cooking on the rack.

Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing

Ingredients:

1 16-20 pound turkey

8 cups whole grain bread crumbs

2 teaspoons rubbed sage

2 teaspoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4 medium onions, peeled and chopped

1 bunch celery, chopped

1/2 cup butter

2 cups chestnuts, coarsely chopped

2 onions, peeled and sliced

1 cup unbleached flour

4-6 cups turkey stock (or see note above for ‘instant’ turkey stock)

cooked giblets, finely chopped (optional)

Preparation:

Remove neck and giblets from turkey and use for making stock. Sauté onions and celery in butter in a large skillet until softened. Mix with bread crumbs, seasonings and chopped chestnuts. The stuffing may be made ahead of time, but you should wait until you are ready to cook to stuff the turkey.

Stuff the neck cavity loosely and use turkey skewers to close. Strew sliced onions in a large roasting pan. Set a rack over the onions and set turkey on the rack. Rub skin with salt and pepper and bake at 350 degrees for about 5 hours, basting frequently.

Remove the turkey to a carving board. Sprinkle flour in the drippings and cook over a medium flame about 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Add stock and blend with a whisk. Bring to a boil and cook several minutes, stirring occasionally. Strain gravy into a saucepan and allow to simmer for 1/2 hour or so until it reduces and thickens. Stir in optional giblets. If gravy gets too thick, thin with a little water..

SOURCE: http://networkedblogs.com/aS4Mj